Apparatus for heating liquids by electrical energy



Oct. 23, 1928;

G. BAUM APPARATUS FOR HEATING LIQUIDS BY ELECTRICAL ENERGY OriginalFiled Oct. l5, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 23, 1928.

G. BAUM APPARATUS FOR HEATING LIQUIDS BY ELECTRICAL ENERGY @riginalFiled Oct. l5, 1925 2 `Sheets-Sheet Patented oci. 23,1928.

unirse stares Laatse PATENT orrics.

GUSTAV BAUM, OF "WEISSElQ'STEIN-ON-THE-DBAU, KARNTEN, AUSTRIA, ASSGNOB'10 TEILE N'JAGARA ELECTRIC CHEMICAL COMPANY, INC., CF NEW YCRK, N. Y.,A COR- PBTION 0F NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR HEATING LIQUIDS BY ELECTRICAL ENERGY.

Original application nletl octoberl, 1925, Serial No. 132,6132, and in.Austria october 28, 1924. Divided and this application Vllcd. Octoberi9, 1926. Serial No. l42,581.

This invention relates to an apparatus for electrically heating liquids,which heating may be carried out for any purpose, but particularly foreffecting distillation, concentration or chemical reactions and thelike, the present application being a division of the co-pendingapplication Serial No. 62,602, iiled Getober 15, 1925, which relates toa process for heating liquids by electrical energy. l*

According to the process described in this co-pending application theliquid is caused to pass through distributing structures withinterstitial spaces in such manner, 'that these interstitial spaces arefilled only partly,.no compact closed liquid body causing the rise ofhydrostatic pressure being formed, so that the generated gases orvapours can freely escape. .According to one method of carrying theinvention into practice this is realized by causing the uniformly spreadliquid to trickle down over and through some porous 'material Vor elseover materials-porous or not-piled up in suchmanner as to leave'interstitial spaces between the single pieces,

these porous or piled up bodies being placed between the electrodessupplying and leading off the current. This arrangement allows of.

varying the sectional area of the liquid offered to the current andconsequently also its resistance by increasing or diminishing' thequantity of liquid spread on said structure.

If the heating is tol be carried out for the purpose of distillation orconcentration orof vprovoking chemical reactions, the liquid` is subjectto continuous alterations regarding temperature composition,concentration, etc., owing lto which also its resistance changes. Thearrangement according to the presv ent invention Aoffers also thepossibility of adjusting the apparatus by graduation to such changes ofthe state taking place in the course of the treatment.' For this purposethe said struct-ure may by' means of several suitably disposed electricsupply mains (electrodes) be subdivided. into several units, elements orcomponents, having interstitial spaces or pores of different size,and'if desired, being of different height'.

In any of these cases very highly porous bodies may be employed asmaterial of said structure, the advantage being thus obtained, that theheating of the liquid is favorized kand supported by an adsorbingaction. l In general the materials adapted to be used for suchstructures, may be such, which are not wetted by the liquid or else suchas Will. suck it up, furthermore electrically conductive ornon-conductive bodies, the requisite quality being that all thesematerials at any degree of concentration occurring lduring the treatmentwill not be attacked by the liquid or its vapours. As examples of suchmaterials may be ,namedz porcelain, stone-ware, metals,

glass, glass-dross and furthermore unglazed ceramic masses, such asiilters made of kieselgur (intusorial earth) porous gels7 sand etc. Theprocess admits ot a great variety of applications. Organic and inorganicacids can be concentrated by its means, lyes can be concentrated andprepared for crystallization, `solutions of all kinds can loe reduced,mixtures of liquids separated and reactions (saponiication for instance)carried out, whereby, in every instance, the highest possibl theoreticaloutput not only of material but also of thermic effect is nearlyobtained. The process enables one likewise to effect the highestpossible energy and heat concentrations respectively.

' Below are given a few suitable apparatus yfor carrying out theprocess, as examples of types of construction.

Fig. l is a longitudinal section of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of a modilication of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a cross section `of Fig. 2.

Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views ofthe porous structure employed in thedevice shown in Fie'. 2.

Figure l show-s a longitudinal section of a distillation orconcentration apparatus, which may be used for instance in order toseparate a. mixture of aqueous sodium carbonate lye and ammonia and forconcentrating the sodium carbonate lye. The acket 1, which is made ofearthenware, porcelain or somevsimilar insulating material is providedwith exhausts 2 'on the arched lid, for the vapours given out in theprocess. The column-like structure 5 consists of non con duct ingmaterial with large pores, 'which 1s ref sisting to alkali at thetemperature reached in the course of the process. Above and belowthestructure is covered by sieve like carbon electrodes 6, which are usedas currentleads. The structure is supported by a shell 7 which is madeof uartz or similar material and surrounds the t ischarge pipe 8.

The solution taken through the leading-in pipe 3, is uniformly dividedby the watering rose 4 and falls on the upper carbon plate 6 which ismade as a sieve and thereby assists iu the division. As soon as thesolution flowing downwards has reached the lower current carrying 'plate6, the circuit is closed. The strength of current depends on the size ofthe pores of the material used for the structure which must be chosen inaccordance with l the process in view. and furthermore on the quantityof the liquid spread on the structure per unit of time, which quantitycan easily be adj usted by means of the tape 30.

If the apparatus is used solely for concentration and if the vapoursgiven out are harmless, it is possible to dispense with the jacket l.

If one has to carry out a distillation which involves also a chemicaltransformation, as occurs for instance'whcn ethyl acetate (acetic ester)is formed from acetic acid and ethyl alcohol, then a correspondinglonger heating circuit must be contrived by connectingr in seriesseveral components (units of structure) which are formed so as to answerthe purpose in view. The porous structure and the height of thecomponents must also conform to the duration or to the temperaturenecessary for each of the different phases of the process.` For suchdifficult conditions, it is advisable to employ instead of innerstructures of naturally porous material, structures whose hollow spacesare artificially made by a suitable structural combination of individualcomponents. Figures 2 and 3 give a longitudinal and a cross-sectionrespectively of this type of construction. Figures et and 5 deal withdetails.

As shown in the type of construction given, the components of the innerstructures consists of thin glass rods, lying horizontally and piled upinto a stack. The rods of one tier are at right angles to the rods ofthe next tier and the distance between them is such that adhesionprevents the liquid from detaching itself. The intervening spaces of therods at the centre can, as shown in Figure 5 be made larger, in order toprovide cliannels in the two planes of symmetry through which the gasesor vapours given out may be exhausted.

According to Fig. 2 the inner structure consists of three components,viz the two units 19 and 20 consisting of piled up rails (rods) and thethird unit 2l consisting of porous material, these single componentsbeing separated from one another by carbon plates pierced like sieves.The distance between the rods is different for each of the upper twocomponents, and the height of the 'of current is reduced.

components likewise differs, in order to adjust the duration and thestrength of heating to each phase of the process. l

If the stacking is close and the rods used, thin, narrow ones, oneobtains high intensity of current, whereas by using broad, thick, rodsand stacking less closely the strength The 'height of the component ofthe inner structures is inversely proportional to the strength of thecurrent.

The handling and the mode of action are similar to those for the Ersttype of construction shown. This apparatus differs from the lirst typein so far as the uppermost and the middle components are provided withbatlie plates. whose function is to return the liquid particles ofelectrolyte which have been mechanically torn away and thus avoid, inthe tirst place, the losses through splashing. The baille plates serveat the same time to dephlegmate the outgoing gas and contribute to theconcentration of the heat.

lf desired, the middle component can be given a special inlet in orderto enable one to introduce additional electrolytes. The lowest carbonplate 22 may. be dispensed with in certain circumstances. In this casethe lowest component carries no current but it is not useless for theprocess on that account, because the electrolytes are through it givenan opportunity of making a longer circuit through the hot distillationchamber, whereby the process may be favorably influenced in certaincases.

In the following claims I use the term materi als or bodies with smallinterstitial spaceswto include piled or heaped up materials as well asporous bodies of any kind and' having pores of any size.

`What I claim is:

l. Apparatus for heating liquids by electrical energy, consisting ofelectric current supply mains and exit lines, structures ofnon-conducting materials with small interstitial spaces inserted betweensaid lines, and a duct supplying the liquid, the orifice of which ductis placed above the said structures.

2. Apparatus for heating liquids by electrical energy, consisting ofelectric current supply mains and exit lines, structures ofnon-conducting materials with small interstitial spaces inserted betweensaid lines, a duct supplying the liquid, the orifice of which duct isplaced above the said structures, means for adjusting the admission ofliquids and a mantle provided with outlets for the generated gases andvapors.

3. Apparatus for heating liquids by electrical energy, consisting ofelectric current supply mains and exit lines, structures ofnon-conducting materials with small interstitial spaces inserted betweensaid lines these structures being subdivided into several elementsdiii'ering from one another by the size lll) ef'their interstitialspaces, and a liquid supply duct with its orifice arranged above thestructures.

4. Apparatus for heating liquids by electrical energy, consisting ofelectric current supply mains and exit lines, structures ofnon-conducting materials with small interstitial spaces inserted betweensaid lines, these structures being subdivided into several elementsdiffering from one another by the size of their interstitial spaces,means for adjusting the liquid supply provided in the liquid admissionand a mantle provided with outlets for the generated gases and vapors.

5. Apparatus for heating liquids by electrical energy consisting ofelectric current supply mains and eXit lines, structures insertedbetween said electric lines, these structures being constituted by railspiled up in layers so, that the rails of one layer cross those of thenext, and a liquid supply duct, the orifice of which is placed abovesaid structures.

6. Apparatus for heating liquids by electrical energy consisting ofelectric current supply mains and exit lines, structures insertedbetween said electric lines, these structures being constituted by railspiled up in layers so, that the rails of one layer cross those of theneXt vand a liquid supply duct provided with means for regulating thesupply of liquid. ,f

7 Apparatus for heating liquids by electrical energy consisting ofelectric current supply mains and exit lines, structures insertedbetween said electric lines, these structures being constituted by railspiled up in layers so, that the rails of one layer cross those of thenext and a mantle of insulating material with outlets forthe generatedgases and vapors.

8. Apparatus for heating liquids by electrical energy consisting ofelectric current supply mains and eXit lines, structures insertedbetween said electric lines, these structures being constituted by railspiled up, in layers so, that the' rails of one layer cross those of thenext and that the middle rails of cach layer are more distant from oneanother than the others, and a liquid supply duct, the orifice of whichis placed above said structures.

9. Apparatus foi-'heating liquids by electrical energy consisting ofelectric current supply mains and exit lines, structures insertedbetween said electric lines, these structures being constituted by railspiled up in layers so, that the rails of one layer cross those of thenext and that the middle rails of each layer are more distant from oneanother than the others, and means for adjusting the liquid supplyprovided in the liquid admission duct.

10. Apparatus for heating liquids by electrical energy consisting ofelectric current supply mains and exit lines, structures insertedbetween said electric lines, these structures being constituted by railspiled up in layers so, that the rails ot one layer cross those of thenext and that themiddle rails of each layer are more distant from oneanother than the others, and a mantle with outlets for the generatedgases and vapors.

11. Apparatus tor heating liquids by electrical energy, consisting ot'electric current supply mains and exit lines, structures of materialswith small interstitial spaces inserted between said lines and baileplates adapted tor leading spilled particles of the liquid back into thestructures.

, 12. Apparatus tor heating liquids by electrical energy, consisting ofelectric current supply mains and exit lines, structure of insulatingmaterial with small interstitial spaces inserted between said lines, arose head connected to the liquid supply duct, which rose head is placedabove said structures and a mantle provided with outlets for thegenerated gases and vapors.

13. Apparatus comprising' a non-conducting structure, havinginterstitial spaces, porous conducting means adjacent thereto, means forsupplying electric current to said conducting means and means forsupplying liquid to the composite structure.

14. Apparatus comprising a. porous nonconducting structure, porousconducting means adjacent thereto, means for supplying electric currentto said conducting means and means for supplying liquid to the compositestructure.

15. Apparatus comprising a porous nonconducting structure, betweenporous conducting means, electric current supply means attached to saidconducting means and a liquid supply means above the compositestructure. y

16. Apparatus comprising a non-conducting structure having interstitialspaces insei-ted between porous conducting means, electric currentsupply means attached to said conducting means and a liquid supply meansabove the composite structure.

In testimony whereof I have allixed my signature.

GUSTAV BAUM.

